Eamon Scanlon (Sligo-Leitrim, Fianna Fail)
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1950. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development if his Department will engage with a community services group (details supplied) regarding its application to the community services programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11149/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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My Department's Community Services Programme (CSP) currently supports over 430 community-based organisations, with a budget of €55.4m in 2025, to provide local services through a social enterprise model. The CSP Progamme provides an annual co-funding contribution towards each full-time equivalent (FTE) position being supported and, where warranted, towards the cost of employing a manager.

My Department wrote to the organisation in question, in January this year, to provide a status update on the position, in relation to the previously submitted concept note. The organisation was advised that additional funding of €3m was provided to the CSP Programme in Budget 2025 and that this has been fully allocated to meet the increased employment costs of existing CSP-funded organisations, in 2025.

I intend to examine the scope for additional funding for the CSP Programme later this year having regard to the funding needs of existing organisations and of organisations who wish to join the programme. I would encourage the organisation in question to maintain contact with Pobal at csp@pobal.ie to keep them updated on their status.